1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to project estimating processes, and more specifically relates to a system and method for allocating time among tasks in a project estimating program.
2. Related Art
The ability to accurately estimate complex projects at the task level is critical for project scheduling and thus allocating budgets, resources, and time. However, very complex projects often include hundreds of tasks, with each task consuming some unpredictable amount of time. Providing an accurate and efficient mechanism for allocating time for each task therefore represents an important aspect of an estimating process.
One method to address the problem is to simply estimate a time allocation for each task, and then add up all of the time to arrive at a total project time. This methodology, however, is problematic since the calculated elapsed project time might significantly differ from a targeted or expected elapsed project time. The planner in this case must then revise individual task allocations to meet an expected total project time. Unfortunately, given that hundreds of tasks might exist, reallocating time among the tasks becomes a very time consuming process. Moreover, an estimating program might utilize estimating factors (e.g., a range of hours), as opposed to a fixed time, to estimate some tasks. Accordingly, it is not necessarily a simple process to adjust time allocations across a set of tasks.
Furthermore, it may be the case that it becomes necessary to adjust the time allocations for tasks after one or more phases of a project have been completed. For instance, if a first phase took longer than expected to complete, how will that impact the estimated time allocated for each remaining task? Accordingly, a need exists for a system that can allocate time for tasks at a high speed in a project estimating program.